It seems like 2022 barely started and we are already celebrating Easter! Time flies and we must make sure to use it wisely. And use it we did! As we already mentioned in our previous post, we started 2022 with a winter camp, visiting families in the Karlovac area and painting a very long mural at Fortica, a Home/Rehabilitation Center for disabled children, near Rijeka. The previously very long dull hallway has turned into a nature park with trees and animals to bring some variety and freshness to the clients’ and staff’s days.

Our friend Marin who had helped us with windows and doors and their installation in our volunteer center several years ago, has offered to change the entrance door of an apartment of a single mom with five children who we have been helping over the last several years.

Two trips to Bosnia in this period gave us an opportunity to visit, encourage and bring help to some of our friends on the move that we have been in touch with, who are living in refugee camps or in squats as well as arrange much needed dental and other medical work for several needy people.

While the dark clouds of pre-war sentiments were gathering over Ukraine, a couple who lived for 18 years in Kiev and were engaged in humanitarian volunteer work there, had to leave the country and decided to join us for the time being here in Croatia. In this way, they are able to continue organizing aid for the Ukrainians that have left the country, as well as those that have stayed in Ukraine, including orphanages and various families. They have also whole-heartedly joined in our activities and having their talents and experience has brought many benefits for our work here.

During this time we took another trip to the Karlovac area, and we also went for the 12th time to Petrinja, the area damaged by earthquake over a year ago, bringing food as well as encouragement and cheer to the families that we have been helping and have gotten to know on a personal basis.

To mark the end of the carnival season we did a clown show in Dom sv. Ana, a protected Home for mothers with children coming out of abusive situations. Later we also painted a mural in their entrance hallway to give the place a touch of freshness and splash of cheery colours.

We also spent a wonderful week with Fabiano, Fabio and Serena, who came to help us with some much needed fix-up jobs on the center. Lots of work has been done, including a new handrail on the staircase, a much needed step, new support for the grapevines, fixed a leak in the shower, swept the chimney, and much more.

A yearly cleanup was organized by the local municipality and we joined in with the others to collect garbage and free the town and the forests of trash that has unfortunately accumulated over the last year. As the organizer said, “If we do this every year, I am sure we, who try to keep our area free of garbage, will have the upper hand at the end above those that come to dump things there.”

 

We wish you Happy Easter!